WICHITA, KS — A two-year-old zoning law has adult businesses and anti-porn activists facing off over a deadline, while the city tries to find its guns.The law, which requires adult entertainment businesses to close or move to industrial districts by the end of the year, raises questions about First Amendment speech issues and property rights. It affects only three stores, but Charlie O’Hara, an attorney who represents adult entities in the area, told the Associated Press that the stores may ignore it. If that happens, he said, there isn’t any clear indication what the city would do, although lawsuits are a possibility.
Senior Assistant City Attorney Kelly Rundell declined to comment about the city’s position.
Jan Beemer, president of anti-porn group Operation Southwind, said her group expects the city to enforce the law. In fact, she told the AP that the group would like the city to pass stricter laws that would classify even more businesses as “adult.” She said people who live near the objectionable businesses have complained about declining property values “and other problems.”
